Dark under eye circles are a common concern that can make one look tired. There are multiple potential causes including swelling, excess pigmentation, prominent blood vessels, and loss of volume. Treatments depend on the individual's particular causes and may include minimizing salt/alcohol, green tea bags, creams, lasers, fillers, and seeing a dermatologist.

1. 14 FITNESSRX OCTOBER 2015 www.fitnessrxwomen.com
● BEAUTY INFO-BITS
● BY LISA STEUER
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How do you get rid
of under eye circles?
Dark under eye circles are a common
concern among women of all ages,
often causing a tired and less youthful
appearance. There are many different
causes of under eye circles, and
treatments are chosen based on the
particular cause in each individual.
Swelling and puffiness. Under eye
puffiness can appear as dark bags and
is usually worse in the morning.
Minimizing salt and alcohol intake,
which lead to water retention, may help.
I recommend sleeping on your back
with an extra pillow to prevent fluid
from draining toward the eyes
overnight. Another remedy is to use
already steeped, refrigerated green tea
bags first thing in morning to help
reduce any fluid build-up. For persistent
eye bags, I recommend Obagi Medical
Neotensil. This works by recontouring
and smoothing out any bulges under
the eyes. It is applied daily and stays in
place up to 16 hours.
Excessive pigmentation. Darkening
of the skin may be hereditary. Other
causes of skin pigmentation include UV
rays from the sun or from rubbing the
area due to chronic allergies. Lightening
creams or lasers may be used for
treatment. A daily SPF is crucial. I
recommend an SPF 30-plus with zinc
oxide before leaving the house. I like
EltaMD Physical, SkinCeuticals Sheer
Physical UV Defense or PCA Skin
Perfecting Protection. Large sunglasses
will also protect this area from sun-
induced darkening. Allergies may cause
puffy skin, broken blood vessels or
friction-induced darkening under the
eyes from chronic rubbing. Oral
antihistamines such as Zyrtec, Allegra
or Claritin can control the allergies and
reduce darkening. Quercetin or grape
seed extract are great natural
compounds that can ease allergy
symptoms.
Prominent vessels. If you press on
the discolored area and the darkness
improves, blood vessels are likely the
culprit. Thin skin in combination with
prominent blood vessels can cause
dark under eye circles. If the skin is thin
or the vessels are prominent, anything
that enhances blood flow to the area,
including physical or mental stress, will
make the under eye circles look worse.
Lasers can successfully lessen the
vessels causing the darkening to the
lower lids. Protecting the eyes in this
procedure and going to the most
experienced physician cannot be
emphasized enough. Also, the thicker
your skin, the less visible the blood
vessels will be, so using eye creams
that thicken the skin will be helpful.
Loss of volume to the area and
thinning of the skin (hollowing).
Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers may be
used to
plump these
hollow areas
that cast
shadows
under the
eyes. Also,
using an eye
cream with
retinol,
caffeine,
peptides and
antioxidants
can help
fade
pigment,
build
collagen and
constrict
blood vessels
to make dark
circles less
noticeable. I
like RoC
Retinol
Correxion
eye cream, Teamine cream,
SkinCeuticals AOX+ Eye Gel and
Replenix Retinol Eye Repair Cream.
I hope this helps give you an idea of
where you can get started on your own
in treating your under eye circles with
some simple measures using the right
eye cream and sun protection. If you
are not satisfied with your results after
about three months, I recommend a
board-certified dermatologist through
www.aad.org who can treat you in the
office.
Have a skin-related question for Dr.
Haley? Email your question to editor@
fitnessrxwomen.com and you could see
it answered in the next issue!
Dr. Jennifer Haley is a board-certified
dermatologist with a degree in Nutri-
tion Science from Cornell University.
She has been an NPC bikini competitor,
consultant to the US Capitol, and is the
co-founder of the skin care line, Deriva-
tions— which offers complimentary skin
consultations. She enjoys an active life-
style in Scottsdale, AZ and Montrose,
CO with her husband and three boys. ››
BEAUTY QUESTION
OF THE MONTH
with Dr. Jennifer Haley
FitRxWarmUP

2. ● BEAUTY INFO-BITS
Photo: Lorna Jane
16 FITNESSRX OCTOBER 2015 www.fitnessrxwomen.com
n Check out this easy natural lip jam recipe from the book
Inspired by Lorna Jane Clarkson, who is the founder of Austra-
lian active wear mega-brand, Lorna Jane. Today, she represents
more than just active wear, inspiring women to live their best
lives through her theory of “Active Living” which she delivers to
millions via her lifestyle website, www.movenourishbelieve.com.
For more natural beauty recipes as well as tips on defining your
own personal style, advice for living an inspirational life, nutri-
tious recipes and more, check out Inspired in Lorna Jane stores
throughout the U.S. and Australia, as well as online at www.
LornaJane.com.
Prep Time: 5 minutes. Makes 1/4 cup
You will need:
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
1 teaspoon cranberry or berry powder
2 drops vitamin E oil
2 drops rose water
Natural LIPJAM
n It seems that odd beauty trends pop up all the time these days. Here a few recent
bizarre beauty treatments that have recently come about, as reported in The Telegraph:
• Hair burning: Brazilian supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio recently posted an Insta-
gram picture of this treatment called Velaterapia, a Brazilian therapy meant to get rid of
split ends.
• Cryotherapy: Meant to raise metabolism and encourage weight loss, this involves
entering a 100-degree cold chamber full of dry liquid nitrogen or dunking into a cold
barrel. Stars such as Lindsay Lohan have reportedly tried it.
• Fire facials: This is a treatment being done in China— fire is used to stimulate skin
and is meant to prevent wrinkles from developing. A towel, drenched in a special elixir
and alcohol, is spread over the face. Yikes!
(“Bizarre beauty
treatments: the weird-
est ways to look ‘good’”,
The Telegraph, www.
telegraph.co.uk)
n Japanese researchers have found that women who
dye their hair for more than 10 years may have higher
levels of testosterone, according to reports. A study
published in the European Journal of Public Health
involved more than 400 women, ages 20 to 54. It was
found that testosterone levels were 14 percent higher
in those who had used permanent or non-permanent
hair dyes for 10 years or more than in women who had
never dyed their hair. According to reports, it’s not
clear why this is occurring, but research shows that
chemicals in hair dyes may alter hormones. (“Hair dye
can elevate testosterone — study,” Independent
Online, www.iol.co.za.) n
HairDye
and
INCREASED
TESTOSTERONE?
n Technological advances are making way for lots of new acne and skin treatments.
According to ScienceDaily, many therapies aimed at skin rejuvenation affect all
exposed tissue and can change the structure and function of the skin. But a new
approach involving pulsed electrical fields may be less likely to have such unintended
side effects like scarring and altered pigmentation when it comes to skin rejuvenation.
Developed at Massachusetts General Hospital, this new approach is noninvasive and
does not involve the generation of heat. In a study, it was found that within periods up
to two months after treatment, there were changes in skin thickness, blood supply
and collagen density, resulting in young and healthy skin. Researchers will next
investigate how the treatment affects aged and damaged skin. (“Pulsed electrical
fields may provide improved skin rejuvenation,” ScienceDaily, www.sciencedaily.com)
BIZARRE BEAUTY
AD
This is how we do it:
Combine all ingredients in a small glass jar.
Let cool and apply to lips for a non-toxic lip
gloss alternative.
SKIN REJUVENATION
VIAPULSED ELECTRICALFIELDS
FitRxWarmUP